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Back in 2006 when Tesla<\/a> was a fledgling electric vehicle company, CEO Elon Musk penned a Secret Master Plan<\/a> outlining Tesla\u2019s environmental doctrines and EV production goals and shared it in a blog post. Now, however, the document, as well as blog posts published prior to 2019, have vanished<\/a> from the company\u2019s website.\u00a0<\/p>\n As recently as April 2024<\/a>, Tesla referred to the plan as entirely Musk\u2019s own creation and the foundational cornerstone of its mission. \u201cTesla\u2019s entire corporate strategy is Musk\u2019s brainchild\u2014he conceived both the \u2018Master Plan\u2019 and \u2018Master Plan, Part Deux,\u2019 the company told investors.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tesla\u2019s Secret Master Plan outlined the steps to producing affordable, consumer-friendly EVs, reflecting the philosophy of using clean energy to offset fossil fuel use in the auto industry on the path toward a more sustainable future. Musk argued Tesla could make EVs more affordable through success from its Tesla\u2019s Roadster, a \u201chigh-end, battery-powered sports car.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe overarching purpose of Tesla Motors (and the reason I am funding the company) is to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy, which I believe to be the primary, but not exclusive, sustainable solution,\u201d Musk said in the document.<\/p>\n Musk authored \u201cThe Master Plan, Part Deux\u201d in 2016 after Tesla had successfully launched its Roadster and Model S, as well as gone public in 2010. That document, according to the company\u2019s 2024 proxy statement<\/a>, outlined projections for the mass production of Tesla\u2019s Model 3. The document is no longer available on Tesla\u2019s website, and the original link reroutes back to the company\u2019s main blog page. Tesla published a third Master Plan<\/a> in April 2023, which is still on its website. The document presents the company\u2019s sustainability goals and materials needed to manufacture Tesla\u2019s fleet of cars.<\/p>\n Musk\u2019s first two Master Plans weren\u2019t the only noteworthy pieces of writing removed from Tesla\u2019s website. Automotive news outlet Autoevolution reported last week<\/a> that Tesla had removed older blog posts, including one from 2016 titled \u201cAll Tesla Cars Being Produced Now Have Full Self-Driving Hardware.\u201d The post touted full self-driving\u2019s (FSD) ability to navigate \u201cdensely packed freeways\u201d and find optimal driving routes. However, Tesla warned the cars\u2019 FSD features would function only after government approval and \u201cextensive software validation.\u201d<\/p>\n Not only have those features not yet come to fruition, but Tesla is facing a class-action suit<\/a> alleging the company and Musk misled Tesla owners about its self-driving and autopilot features. The suit claims Tesla told customers that their cars would soon have autonomous driving capabilities and falsely advertised the cars\u2019 self-driving capabilities, luring customers into paying more for the vehicles. Tesla must also contend with a claim<\/a> from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which alleges the EV company overstated those same features.<\/p>\n The disappearance of cornerstone documents in Tesla\u2019s founding philosophy also coincides with Musk\u2019s recent softening of his climate stances and his support of Donald Trump\u2019s bid for presidential reelection. Trump has previously lambasted<\/a> EVs, saying they will \u201ckill\u201d the auto industry. This month, Trump pledged<\/a> to end tax credits for EVs and scrap<\/a> President Joe Biden\u2019s sustainability initiatives.<\/p>\n But despite Trump antagonizing EVs, Musk has offered effusive support of the former president, endorsing Trump<\/a> after the July 13 assassination attempt against him and expressing interest in taking on a cabinet role<\/a> in Trump\u2019s administration should he be reelected. Musk denied reports<\/a> that he planned to donate $45 million a month to Trump\u2019s super political action committee.<\/p>\n But as Musk has courted his new potential political ally, his opinions on the fossil fuel industry have begun to align more with Trump\u2019s. In a two-hour chat with Trump<\/a> streamed on X<\/a> on Aug. 13, Musk defended the gas and oil industry, saying the economy is reliant on those forms of energy.<\/p>\n \u201cMy views on climate change and oil gas\u2026are pretty moderate,\u201d Musk said. \u201cI don\u2019t think we should vilify the oil and gas industry and the people that have worked very hard in those industries to provide the necessary energy to support the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n The Tesla site\u2019s archive of press releases and SEC filings go back to 2008 and 2010, respectively.\nWhy now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Tesla did not respond to Fortune<\/em>\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nRecommended reading:<\/strong>
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